Nothing starts the new year makeup resolution like hydration, hydration, and hydration. Sephora’s January 2018 Play box is all about skin prepping and the practice of moisturization. So definitely my box has a couple of skincare stuff, primer stuff, and even haircare stuff which I haven’t tried before, and I had quite a lot of fun playing and testing these;
Fresh Rose Floral Toner (8.05 oz: $40) – Smells like a freshly plucked rose, this toner is very refreshing to the skin, and I love that it never gave me any irritation all throughout my usage with this. It can be used as a makeup setting spray, as a primer, or as what Fresh recommends, it can be placed in the refrigerator and use it to cool down the skin on the summer days. I really like this and I would like to have this in its full size because it has a sprayer. This would be really good as a face mist/toner right after washing the face post-workout at the gym or even at work to freshen up the skin and clear those pores.
GlamGlow Supercleanse Clearing Cream-to-Foam Cleanser (5 oz: $32) – This cleanser is surprisingly good. I thought this was gonna be like meh, but actually, this feels really good on the skin. It doesn’t have that strong charcoal scent which I thought it would just like the GlamGLow Supermud Mask (reviewed HERE), instead, this is quite soothing, a bit like menthol and herbal blend with slight charcoal in it. Surprisingly, it’s not gritty, it doesn’t sting, and it’s not irritating to my skin. I love how creamy it feels being a charcoal cleanser, and this foams really well. It does a thorough job of cleaning my oily-prone skin, but it didn’t dry it. It’s quite impressive.
Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (0.5 oz: $26.50) – Seen this eye cream a lot. It’s everywhere and I’m glad that Sephora Play sent me this. It doesn’t have any strong scents, in fact, I don’t think it has any scent at all. It’s really moisturizing and quite refreshing once it comes in contact with the undereyes. I love that the packaging allows for an easy glide around the eyes, and it has kept my lid and undereyes moisturized for hours. I haven’t seen any lightening or any dramatic result yet, but I seem to like this cream. Just be careful upon application though, try not to squeeze too much while applying this around the eyes or else it’s gonna squirt right into it.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer (mini/0.5 oz: $15, standard/1 oz: $42) – Hmmm, didn’t know Smashbox made something like this. It’s a primer and moisturizer love child, a primerizer. Cool name, huh? this doesn’t have any strong smell, and it contains hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, which felt really nice on my skin. It’s very moisturizing and it’s true that it holds my makeup for several hours. It’s great for this chilly season, and it gives that nice dewy look. Hmmm, I might switch my favorite primer for this.
Lancome Cils Booster XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base (0.19 oz: $25.50) – I already have a few of this because I’m a fan of lash primers. I use this and the Dior one, which are both so good, and they add further volume and length to your eyelashes. This really makes me look like I have full lashes no matter what time of the day. It also works with any mascara, and overall it just takes your eyelash drama to another level. Further reviewed HERE.
Alterna Haircare CAVIAR Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner (mini/1.35 oz: $10, standard/8.5 oz: $34, value/16.5: $52) – These caviar-infused shampoo and conditioner are very interesting. I’ve seen them a lot in Sephora, just didn’t pull the trigger on them because I’ve always been a Living Proof, Kerastase and Drugstore haircare fan. They smell a bit like Kerastase Aura Botanica (reviewed HERE), but a bit stronger, in my opinion. The Shampoo doesn’t seem to lather much, it took me three washes to get a good clean even though my hair wasn’t really that oily when I washed it. But it did clean it well after that. The Conditioner, on the other hand, is very creamy and I only had to use 1/2 of the sachet to coat my hair. It noticed a very faint smell of vinegar on this, but hardly noticeable. No worries because this conditioner still has a nice fresh scent to it. Overall, I like the effect that these two products did to my hair. It felt really clean, soft, and bouncy. I had no frizz or dry strands, and it just seemed to relax my hair quite well without looking oily and heavy. Hmmm, these are really promising.
Aren’t these products cool? I had a great time testing them, so far, I seem to love all the products for this month. They’re very useful and I hope February’s box will be as fun as this.
What’s your fave from this month’s products?
Follow moi in my IG: @reviewsandotherstuff
